Tongue frenulum piercing

This article is about Piercings

A tongue frenulum piercing or the tongue web piercing is a body piercing through the frenulum underneath the tongue (frenulum linguae). These piercings are relatively simple piercings, and heal quickly, although they do have a tendency to reject over time. Depending on the anatomy of the individual, this piercing may not be feasible.
Aftercare for tongue frenulum piercings can be more complicated than most other piercings, as the healing piercing will come into contact with anything that enters the mouth, including food and smoke which can cause irritation but they generally heal a lot faster than other body piercings due to the area of the body, where some people have experienced healing times of anything from two to eight weeks. Many certified piercers suggest after care guidelines such as not to engage in oral sex, not to smoke, and regular rinsing after eating or drinking with a de-ionized saline fluid. Many professionals recommend rinsing with 50/50 mixture of mouthwash and distilled water or a pH balanced, non-alcoholic mouthwash such as Dentyl pH after eating, drinking, smoking; or rinsing on-the-hour.

Health issues

Jewelry worn in tongue frenulum piercings may come into contact with both teeth and gums. This contact can damage both the tooth enamel and the gum tissue over time, and can lead to long term health problems. Post-operative swelling especially when infection is present (Ludwig's angina) can jeopardize breathing and be life-threatening causative. There is a minute risk that an improperly placed tongue web piercing can damage the sublingual salivatory glands. Like all oral piercings, jewelry worn in a tongue web piercing may be swallowed if it becomes loose in the mouth. Bacterial Dental plaque and calculus can build up on this piercing, requiring regular cleaning.

Jewelry

Both ring and barbell style jewelry can be worn in these piercings. Usually the jewelry worn in these piercings is low gauge, as there is not much tissue to pierce or stretch, and larger gauge jewelry may be more likely to damage the teeth and gums.

History and culture

This piercing is of contemporary origin, first appearing in the 1990's. It is also commonly referred to as a tongue web piercing or Marley.